“Oh, I am glad you don’t!  I shouldn’t want you to love her as well as you do me.  Will you invite the girls, papa?”

“Yes; we will call to them through the telephone after breakfast.”

They did so, there was a joyful acceptance from each, and before the dinner hour they had both arrived.  Sydney had not gone with Maud and Dick.  It had been decided before the wedding that it would be better for her to remain in a more northern region till fall, then go South to make her home with her sister.

“I was glad of your invitation, captain,” she said when he helped her out of the carriage, “for I was finding it dreadfully lonesome without my sister.”

“Ah! so I suspected, as did my wife, and we thought it might relieve your loneliness a little to spend a few days here with us.”

“Yes; it was so kind,” she responded, “so very kind!  And you are here, too, Cousin Elsie, and Walter!  Oh, I am sure we are going to have a fine time.”

“Yes, indeed, I always do have the best of times here,” said Evelyn; “especially when Grandma Elsie and Walter add their attractions to those of the Woodburn folks.”

“We will all try to make it as delightful as we can,” said Grace.  “Papa has kindly excused Lu and me from lessons while you stay; so we can busy ourselves with fancy work or anything we like, when we are not driving or walking; and we have some new books and periodicals that one can read aloud while the rest are doing fancy work or whatever they please.  We can play games, too, so I think we will not lack for amusement.”

“No, we never do, here,” said Eva.

And they did not; time passed swiftly and pleasantly in the round of occupations and amusements suggested by Grace.  Friday and Saturday soon slipped by, and Sunday came, bringing its sacred duties and pleasures—­religious services at home, at church, then the Sunday schools, and after that the home Bible class, which all found so pleasant.  They gathered upon the veranda, each with a Bible in hand; for even little Ned could now read fluently, and generally find the references for himself.

“Will you not lead us to-day, mother?” asked the captain when all were seated.

“No,” she said with her pleasant smile, “I very much prefer to have that burden borne by my son-in-law, Captain Raymond.”

“And you wish him to select the subject?”

“Yes; he cannot fail to fix upon a good and interesting one.”

“And how is it with you, my love?” he asked, turning to Violet.

“Suppose we take thanksgiving as our subject,” she said; “we all have so much, so very much, to be thankful for.”

“Indeed we have!” he returned emphatically, “and I think no better subject could be found.  Neddie, my boy, can you tell papa something you have to be thankful for?”

“Oh, yes, papa! eyes to see with, ears to hear with, hands and feet, and that I can use them all; for I saw a boy the other day that can’t walk at all, though he has feet, but must lie on a bed or sit in a chair all the time; while I can walk, and run, and jump whenever I want to.”